


Afraid of the Dark Part 2

by leonheart2012



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Butt Plugs, Cuddles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Romantic Gestures, Romantic Gladio, Saying 'I love you' a lot, Sex Toys, Sharing a Bed, Sleeping Together, True Love, i love my boys okay?, like a lot, soft Gladio, very brief oral sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-01 14:55:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20259940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: It was too good, and I couldn't leave it alone, so now you're all going to experience the wonder that is Gladio/Prom porn because Prom is scared of the dark. Hope you all enjoy it. :)





	1. Stay

They stop at a hotel, ready to just collapse. As Gladiolus gets their overnight bags from the trunk, Ignis pays for the rooms they’ll be using. Noctis stretches and talks with Prompto while they help Gladiolus with the bags.

Prompto’s feeling wonderful; he’ll get to sleep in a real, soft bed, with clean sheets, no worries of daemons, and a hot shower or bath. The feeling crashes around him when he’s told that Ignis has booked them each a separate room.

It’s only been a few weeks since the first daemon incident, and despite the fact that they’ve had another few encounters with the creatures, he’s not yet ready to stop clinging to Gladiolus’ arm while he falls asleep, not quite ready to give up the gentle sounds of Noctis’ shallow snores, Ignis’ soft breathing. A panic sweeps through his body, making him freeze on the landing.

“Prom?” Noctis asks from behind him, and he responds with a nervous laugh.

“Sorry, I...forgot something in the car.” He turns and flattens himself against the wall, hoping his face isn’t completely white. “Could I get the keys?” He asks of Ignis, who fishes them out of his pocket and hands them to Prompto. “Thanks. Won’t be a minute!”

He races down the stairs, only to collapse into one of the chairs in the lobby. The owner of the establishment raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment further.

Prompto swallows as his eyes flick to the darkness that’s already fallen. Even though the township has bright lights that keep away the daemons, he can’t shake the fear that sets his teeth rattling.

“It’s just one night. We’re in a hotel, and we’re safe, and-” He breaks himself off with a tiny whimper when a shadow passes by the door, a flicker of movement he’s not sure if he’s imagined or not. He shoots to his feet when he catches it again, scampering up the stairs, hoping to leap into Gladiolus’ arms.

When he reaches the floor of their rooms, he hears voices coming from one of them, instantly recognising Gladiolus’ deep growl, Noctis’ sleepy, annoyed drawl, and Ignis’ textured, colourful accent. He knocks, then opens the door, all three faces turning towards him.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Noctis asks.

“Uh, no.” He puts the keys on the small table, shoved into the corner of the room. “It’s fine. I’ll probably find it tomorrow.”

“What did you lose? Maybe it’s in one of our bags?” Gladiolus says, already standing to take a look.

“D-don’t worry about it. I mean, um...” He struggles to find something to say, almost ready to cry he’s so frustrated, when Ignis saves him.

“Well, if it’s not so important, why don’t you come over here and help me cut the vegetables?”

“Vegetables?” Noctis says, suddenly paying much more attention, his tone suggesting he’s been betrayed in the most vile and unforgivable way.

“Oh, do relax.” Ignis says, his tone of voice practically a roll of the eyes. “I’m not putting any in yours, Noct, but some of us actually enjoy eating healthily.” He hands Prompto a chopping board, a knife and some onions. “In fact, I’ve almost gotten yours done already.”

“Awesome. The sooner I can get to bed, the better; I know you’re going to have us up early.”

“Of course I am. We’ve got a lot of distance to cover tomorrow. Prompto, are you alright?” He says the last part because Prompto is simply staring at the knife, remembering the one the Iron Giant had held, as it came crashing down on the earth, shattering it, pieces of rock and dirt flying miles into the air, getting into his eyes, making them water until he couldn’t aim, and then he didn’t want to, because what if he hit human flesh?

Then, Gladiolus’ arms are wrapped around his waist, the familiar, steady rumble of his voice echoing in his own rib cage, and he sighs, pressing back into the comforting warmth.

“It’s alright.” Gladiolus says to the others, who are looking at Prompto in shock. “I’ll calm him down.”

The big man gently takes the knife from his hand, setting it on the chopping board, before leading him out of the room and down the hall. As they walk, he rubs small circles into Prompto’s lower back.

“It’s still the dark, isn’t it?” He asks finally, and Prompto nods mutely. “Can’t sleep on your own?” He shakes his head, and Gladiolus sighs. “I really wanted some alone time so I could jerk off, but if you’re really too scared, we can ask for a refund on your room and get you into mine.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to-”

“As long as you’re cool with me jerking off next to you.”

Prompto feels his face flush. Despite _seeing_ everyone’s morning wood after sleeping in the tent for months now, and knowing full well that they could see his, he’s still shy about things relating to sex; and not just because he’s still a virgin. Ever since the incident a few weeks ago, he’s been thinking of the muscular Shied in a different light.

The morning immediately after he’d fallen asleep on his chest while he read, he’d woken with something stiff resting against his thigh. It hadn’t taken long to figure out what it was, and he’d tried to move away from him, but Gladiolus had simply pulled him closer, nuzzling into his hair and sighing happily.

That experience had been enough to get Prompto to start questioning his sexuality. He’d always thought he was straight, but now…

He looks up into the Shield’s face, and his heart beats faster, his cheeks heating as blood rushes to them. His mind supplies images of the larger man naked, which doesn’t take a lot of imagination; Prompto’s seen him shirtless almost every day for the past two and a half months, and he’s _felt_ his dick hard against his thigh before. It’s no stretch of logic to conclude that his legs are just as muscular as the rest of him.

“Prom?”

His eyes refocus on Gladio’s face, which has a concerned expression. “Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s fine.”

Gladiolus’ bemused smirk is almost too sexy for Prompto to handle. “Okay. Well, let’s go ask the guy at the desk if it’s not too late to change our minds about how many rooms we want.”

After getting a refund and returning the fourth room key, they walk back up the stairs to where the others are. Out of the corner of his eye, Prompto watches Gladiolus, who seems lost in his own world.

He pauses before the door. “You were crying.”

“What?”

“Before, when you were staring at the knife. You were crying.” He turns to Prompto, his face soft. “I know why, but the others...their minds might have gone somewhere else.”

“You think...they think I...what do you mean?” He asks, his chest getting tight with that same panic as before.

Gladiolus sighs, pulling his shoulders back, his eyes sad. “They might think you wanna harm yourself. So...what do you wanna tell them? Because they _will_ ask.”

“I...I’ll think of something.”

“Okay.” He gives Prompto another moment, then knocks on the door. When Ignis calls out, he pushes the door open.

The tension in the air is palpable, especially to Prompto, who’s always looking for any sign that he’s not welcome. Noctis is frowning in worry, while Ignis is facing away, still assembling dinner.

Random thoughts burst in Prompto’s brain, and it takes all his willpower to not just blurt them as they appear.

_Gladio’s really, totally sexy, right?_

_I’m not crazy, I swear._

_Isn’t it funny how the Regalia makes almost no noise while we drive, but the cars that pass us do?_

_I’m not suicidal, promise._

_Doesn’t Iggy have really nice hair?_

_Is that a radio by the bed? I wonder if it has an alarm setting._

_Are you tired, Noct? I’m tired. Maybe we should all just go to sleep and forget that anything weird happened._

_That smells really good, Iggy, what are you making? Maybe I could help? I’m not gonna freak out again, I promise._

_What would you think if you knew the truth about me?_

_How crazy would it be if one of us was bisexual? Would you still keep them around, if you knew?_

_Cindy’s great, isn’t she? I mean, those _boobs_, right?_

“-ready.” Ignis’ voice finally breaks through the thoughts, just as the tall man places a dish of food in front of him.

“Oh. Thanks. It looks really good, Iggy.” He says, picking up his fork and digging in.

A breeze comes through the open window, and parts of Prompto’s cheeks feel cold. He reaches up and feels the tracks that his tears left behind. Glancing over to Gladiolus, he sees the big man frowning in worry, and knows that they’re fresh. He closes his eyes and sighs, the despair creeping back in.

“Daemons are really scary, right?” He says, voice sounding loud in the dead silence that had fallen over them since Prompto’s earlier breakdown. “Like, with their huge swords and weird flesh, and how they only show up at night.”

Ignis blinks once, looks down into his bowl, flushes, looks back up, then places his dish down. “I apologise. I hadn’t noticed you felt that way. Is there anything I can do to ease your fear?”

“Not really.” He rubs the back of his neck with one hand. “I mean, not getting separate rooms would be nice. I like knowing you guys are _right there_, you know? But...Gladio’s already taken care of it for tonight.”

“I see.” He takes his bowl back into his hand and nibbles thoughtfully on a floret of broccoli. “I’ll keep that in mind next time we stop at a motel.”

“Thanks, Iggy.” Prompto says quietly as they finish their meals. Afterwards, they all say goodnight and Ignis and Noctis leave to go to their own rooms, while Gladiolus and Prompto stay.

“You gonna be alright if I have a shower?” Gladiolus asks gently, no offence or accusation in his tone.

“Um...yeah. Of course.” Prompto says, even though he’s not sure at all. He grips his hands together in a tight knot and takes a few deep breaths. When he next looks up, Gladiolus is already in the bathroom, the water on. Prompto gets under the covers and hugs a pillow to his chest, trying to shut out the worries that swirl in his mind.

After a while, the bed dips, and Gladiolus’ hand lands on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m finished in the shower. You should take one yourself.”

Prompto rolls out of bed and gathers up his things. He pauses at the bathroom door and looks over his shoulder at Gladiolus.

“It’s alright. I’m not going anywhere.” He assures the young man, who sighs and closes the door.

After taking another few deep breaths, Prompto turns the water on and steps under the warm spray, closing his eyes and forgetting about his fears for a few moments. The shower feels heavenly after so long spent sweaty and dusty. He can almost feel the dirt sloughing off his skin, and when he looks at the floor of the shower, he sees gritty residue in the pooling water.

He cuts his shower shorter than he would usually, drying himself off and changing into fresh clothes. He gets lost in the soft, clean feeling of his pyjamas, which he usually doesn’t bother with if they’re sleeping in the tent, hugging himself and stroking the fabric.

Finally, he brushes his teeth and moves out into the bedroom, where he immediately stills and makes a strangled noise of distress. Gladiolus has turned off the lights.

Fear clawing at his throat, Prompto takes shallow breaths as he tiptoes across the room, his eyes opened as wide as possible. A car passes by the hotel, and Prompto screams. The room is flooded with light, and Prompto is greeted with the sight of Gladiolus, completely naked, looking both startled and guilty. Regrettably, Prompto's too upset to really take in the majesty of Gladio's exposed body.

“I’m sorry. I thought you’d be longer.” He says, pulling on trousers. After he’s finished that, he pulls Prompto close for a hug, stopping his shaking. “Shh, it’s alright. I’m here.” He shushes, rubbing Prompto’s back with strong, firm hands.

When Prompto’s finally calmed, he looks up into Gladiolus’ face, and he sees just how remorseful he is. Shrugging away his residual fear and irritation, he snuggles closer, wrapping his arms around Gladiolus’ waist. Gladiolus tightens his grip.

“I’m sorry.” He says again, pulling back finally. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Prompto pulls away as well and climbs into the other side of the bed. “Can you leave the light on?”

“Sure.” The bed dips as Gladiolus resettles, his warmth radiating comfortingly familiar, making Prompto cuddle closer, closing his eyes as he presses his face into his side.

Before long, he’s deep in a dreamless sleep.


	2. Shopping Trip

A few months later, they’re in Lestallum when Prompto sees the shop. It’s a new one, tucked into an alleyway, but it’s remarkably popular.

“There’s...a bit of shopping I wanted to do, but you guys should go on the hunt!” Prompto says the next morning, waving off suggestions that someone stay with him to assist in carrying his bags; they all know that when he goes shopping, he has a tendency to buy a plethora of items, mostly for the whole group.

Last time he went on a real shopping spree had been back in Insomnia, where he’d bought a new shirt and diary – with matching prints – for Ignis, a new pair of boots for Gladiolus, and new fishing gear for Noctis, even though he’d only gone out to buy a new jacket – since his last one had been destroyed when he’d accidentally gotten it stuck in the car door – and a new lens for his camera.

“Well, alright, then, but promise not to buy too much!” Noctis says as they leave him behind, piling into the car, Gladiolus sliding gratefully into the front seat and putting it all the way back, sighing in pleasure.

“I could get used to this.” He says appreciatively, closing his eyes. “Maybe you should sit on Noct’s lap next time we get in, Prom?” He asks hopefully, ignoring Ignis’ noise of protest.

“Why not yours, big guy?” Prompto says while dancing away. “I’ll see you guys later.”

As soon as he’s waved them off, he makes his way to the shop, his palms getting sweaty. The Lestallum heat doesn’t help, only serving to make him even more sticky. When he steps into the air-conditioning, he sighs in relieved pleasure, closing his eyes to adjust to the sudden lack of bright sunlight.

“Good morning!” A sales assistant says from behind the counter. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Reluctantly, Prompto steps out of the cool flow of air and makes his way over to her, leaning on the counter while the blood rushes to his cheeks. The assistant is reasonably pretty, with long brown hair and large doe eyes set into a round, dark face. “Uh...yeah, if you wouldn’t mind...”

“Sure, just give me a moment!” She ducks under the counter and walks around to where Prompto’s standing. “What can I do for you?”

Prompto stiffens and looks around at the shelves, totally lost. “I...I’ve never been...in a place like this before, so I guess I just...wanted a tour?”

“Sure thing! Here, let’s start over here, where the lubes and condoms are.” She begins to lead him to a rack laden with brightly coloured packaging. “So, are you looking for anything in particular, or just curious?”

“Both? I guess? I mean...” He trails off, his face still red from his earlier blush. “I dunno.”

She purses her lips. “Listen, honey, it’s gonna be a lot easier to recommend things if I know what we’re looking for. Are you in a relationship?”

“N-no.” Prompto stutters, wishing the floor could swallow him up and transport him to wherever Noct and the others are.

Oblivious to his discomfort, the sales assistant pushes on. “Have you ever been in a relationship?”

“Once. When I was sixteen.”

She nods encouragingly. “And did you ever have sex?”

Prompto feels the blush deepen and spread, going up into his ears, his chest getting tight. Had it always been so difficult to breathe? “No.”

“So you’re a virgin?”

He can’t bring himself to say anything, and so just nods his head in shame, his cheeks burning with it.

She places a sympathetic hand on his arm. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. It just lets me know to give you information packets. We’re all about safe sex here at _Lestallum Lust_. And if you _did_ have sex, would you want it to be with a woman or a man?”

“At the moment? A man, but I’m not against girls.”

“Ah, I see.” She purses her lips again. “You ever played with your anus before?”

Prompto feels like hiding behind one of the displays, stunned by her bluntness. “No.” He whispers.

“No need to be embarrassed.” She assures him. “Do you _want_ to play with it?”

He blinks, taking a moment to think about it. “I guess? I’ve never really...you know...I’ve only really wanted to try something with guys for a little while.”

“Right, well, if you keep the receipts and decide later that you don’t want to have whatever toys you’ve bought, you can return it for a full refund, provided it’s within three months.” She says, then turns back to the rack in front of her. “If you’re going to be playing with anything, any toys or sex or whatever, you’ll want a good amount of lube. I know you’ve probably seen a lot of this stuff in gas stations around, but it’ll probably be easier to just buy it here. We don’t mark up the prices or anything.”

She reaches over and takes a bottle of lube from a shelf. “I would suggest this. It’s really good quality for anal stuff, and works well on whatever toys you’re looking to use. It’s gentle, unscented, and well worth the price tag. I’d suggest getting a few of these, especially if you’re not coming back for a while.

“Now, if you’re even _hoping_ for sex, you’ll need condoms. I don’t care what anyone says about pulling out, or having the responsibility be on only one person, _everyone_ should carry condoms. Six, I think these things should be free.” She reaches over and grabs a packet. “And the size _does_ matter. Do ya know how big your desired partner is?”

“Um...p-pretty big. I mean, I haven’t really _seen_ it, but...I’ve kinda...seen the tent when he has morning wood, and it’s pretty big. Bigger than mine, for sure.”

“Hum. And do you know how big you are?”

He feels his cheeks heat. He knows he doesn’t have a lot of length, but his girth makes up for it. “Four point eight in length, five in girth.”

“And that’s when you’re erect?”

“Y-yeah.”

“You’ll want a large, then. It’s mostly the girth that makes the difference.” She hands him another packet of condoms. “Right, and that’s it for this section. On to the fun stuff.”

She leads him over to another section, which is filled with boxes of different shapes and sizes, sporting pictures of various strange-looking contraptions. “Okay, on to the plugs.” She takes a box off the shelf. “This is what I would suggest to you. It’s small enough for beginners, and it feels pretty good.”

Prompto takes the box into his hands and studies it. “Thanks.”

“Alright, now you’ll want a douche so you can clean yourself out before using any of your new toys.” She leads him to another section and hands him yet another box. Prompto struggles to hold everything, his arms overflowing with boxes. The sales attendant turns to him and smiles. “Now, is there anything else you want? A dildo? A cock ring maybe?”

“Um...I guess a dildo?”

“Sure thing. I’d suggest starting off small.” She leads him to another section and hands him two boxes. “These are best for beginners.”

“Thanks. And...could I get a bag for all of it?”

“Of course.”

Prompto follows her to the till, where she shows him a large black bag. “That looks perfect.” He dumps the boxes on the counter and digs out his wallet. “How much for all this?”

After paying for it and receiving a stack of pamphlets, he makes his way back to the hotel and into the room they’d rented. He lays everything out on the bed and reads the pamphlets thoroughly before looking at anything else.

The first thing he picks up is ‘how to have safe, sane, consensual sex that feels good’. It tells him about the importance of personal hygiene, of making sure you have plenty of lubrication, and asking for consent. It also has information on indulging in certain kinks and how to do so safely.

With the information provided in the pamphlets, he prepares himself, and then sits in the bathroom with his new toys, opening boxes and cleaning them. With butterflies in his stomach, he coats his fingers in lube and reaches around, pushing only the tip of his index finger into himself, taking a shaky breath when it doesn’t feel painful at all.

Emboldened by the experience of one finger, he pushes in his middle finger, which is decidedly a mistake, because it hurts. Not much, but definitely enough to be noticeable. He hastily removes his middle finger, going back to the single digit.

Slowly, he works himself open, making sure not to get too deep too quickly. It takes more self-control than he’d expected; he wants the preparation to be _over_, because his cock is leaking in anticipation of the feeling of something bigger, his mind running wild with possibilities, his arms and legs shaking with the effort of keeping himself upright.

Finally, he feels he’s ready enough to try the smaller of the two dildos he’d purchased. He applies a generous amount of lube to the toy before pressing it against the rim of his anus, taking care to keep breathing and go slow. As it first breaches, he sucks in a breath, not expecting the strange feeling. Even so, he perseveres, going deeper and deeper before-

He gasps, pleasure shooting up his spine, as he presses up against a bundle of nerves deep inside himself. His supporting arm shakes wildly, and he presses his shoulders against the cold, harsh tiles, panting.

Giving himself a few moments to get used to the feeling of having the toy inside him, he reaches around and starts to fuck the toy in and out of his hole, moaning as it catches on his rim, biting his lip to try to curb the noises being ripped from his throat, just in case the others come back early.

Before long, Prompto’s got his hand around his dick, stroking frantically, trying his best to thrust the toy into himself while still stroking, humping the air in frustration, because it doesn’t feel quite good _enough._ Then, just as he’s about to give up, he accidentally brushes against the bundle of nerves while his thumb catches slightly over the head of his dick, and he moans, come spurting forth and coating the tiles under him. Breathing heavily, he curls onto his side and gently pulls the toy out, groaning at the feeling.

After giving himself another few moments to recover, he cleans up and goes out again, trying to find something worth buying to explain away why he’d wanted to stay behind.

“How much for this?” Prompto asks, peering at the strange fruit. He’s sure Ignis will be delighted to give it a try.

“Five hundred Gil.” The vendor says, and Prompto happily hands over the note, tucking the fruit into the bag he’s slung over his shoulder.

He checks his phone for the time, and sees that he’s got a text from Noctis informing him that they’re back at the hotel. After sending a quick text back letting him know he’s on his way, Prompto starts on his way back when something catches his eye.

Biting his lip, Prompto tries to pass it by, but something about it calls to him, and before he can stop himself, he’s passing over an insane amount of money for the item.

“What took you so long?” Noctis complains as Prompto comes through the door. “The hunt was so _boring_ without you.”

Prompto flushes and ducks his head as he fishes around in his bag, finally finding the new lure he’d found among the market stalls. “The guy had no idea what it was, was just selling it for ten Gil, thought it was a whistle or something.”

“Wow! This is awesome! Thanks, Prom, I’ll be sure to use it next time, see what likes it.” Noctis says, all complaints forgotten as he day dreams about all the fish he’s going to catch with his new lure.

He heads into the kitchen next, handing Ignis the fruit he’d bought as well as a new whetstone. “I know your old one is getting pretty worn-down.” He says sheepishly at Ignis’ surprised but pleased expression. “I hope I got the right roughness. They had a bunch, and I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for. The lady I bought it from said that if it’s not, we can take it back and exchange it.”

"Thank you Prompto, this will be very useful." Ignis says, putting the stone to immediate use.

Gladiolus hadn’t said anything during the exchanging of gifts, but Prompto can still feel his apprehension. He doesn’t feel pressured by it; he’s always bought something for everyone important in his life on every shopping trip. He even bought something for Regis once, when he’d found a particularly nice photo frame. He’d filled it with a picture of Noctis when he’d given Prompto one of his rare smiles.

Prompto sits next to Gladio on the couch and pulls out the best of all the presents, in his opinion; the next novel in the series Gladio is reading.

The bigger man beams at him and gives him a huge hug. “Thanks, Prom.”

Prompto blushes and tries to hide his face, but Gladio won’t leave him alone, pulling him back onto his lap every time Prompto tries to escape.

Ignis doesn’t take much longer with dinner, and then they all play a few rounds of cards before Noctis disappears to take a shower. Immediately after he comes out, he flops onto his bed and starts snoring softly.

Gladio is the next to shower, and Ignis checks his recipes as Prompto sorts through his camera equipment and cleans it all before packing it back neatly in his bag, his stomach tying in knots.

“Shower’s free, Prom.”

“Thanks, but I’m...not quite done yet. Iggy, why don’t you go first?”

“If you’re certain?”

“Yeah, it’s all good.”

After Ignis disappears into the bathroom, Prompto fiddles with the strap of his camera bag until he hears the water start to run. When he turns to Gladiolus, the bigger man is looking at him strangely.

“Alright,” he says with a sigh, “I’ll ask. What’s up?”

Prompto bites his lip. “I...I kinda...found something else for you today, but...well, if you don’t like it, I can take it back. You don’t have to um...anyway. I...here.” He reaches into his overnight bag and brings out a necklace with a leather chain and a moogle pendant. “When I saw it, I thought of Iris, you know? Thought you might like to...have it. To remind you of her.”

Gladio stares at it for a moment before reaching out and taking it from Prompto. His eyes are shiny, his lower lip trembling slightly. “Thanks, Prom.” He says, his voice thick. “And...thanks for waiting.” His hands are shaking so much, he can’t fasten the clip, so Prompto gets up and does it for him. After it’s done, Gladio pulls him down and gives him a hug. “Thank you. I’ll wear it every day.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Prompto says, his cheeks flushed. “I was worried it was too personal.”

“Too personal?” Gladio pulls back and frowns at him. “Prom, we sleep next to each other, often wrapped around each other, nearly every night. You’ve seen me naked. What could be more personal than that?”

Prompto shrugs and fiddles with his clothes. “I guess.”

Gladio lets him go, and Prompto goes back to his own bed, which is in between Gladio and Ignis’. Ever since that night when he’d told Ignis and Noctis about his fear, there hadn’t been a single night where he slept alone. He curled up with one of his friends, listening to their breathing, reassuring himself that they were alive and safe for yet another night. Some nights, when he was just with one member of the party instead of all three, he woke in a cold sweat, worried that the other two were suffering some horrific fate.

“Will you be alright?” Gladio asks, having changed into his pyjamas while Prompto was distracted. “You seem kinda...off, you know?”

“I’m fine.” Prompto replies with a small smile. “Just tired, I guess.”

Ignis chooses this moment to open the door, towel draped around his bare shoulders, and Prompto’s mouth goes dry as he asks himself how it’s possible to be surrounded by three attractive young men and _not_ be having sex with any of them. His dick tingles as he remembers his session from earlier in the day, his ass clenching around nothing, hoping it won’t be too long before he can play with his new toys again.

Prompto makes his way past Ignis and into the bathroom, shutting the door and stripping, getting into the shower which is still steamy from Ignis’ turn. As he showers, his mind wanders to Gladio, to his lips, his hard abs, his huge shoulders, his warm hands, his caring eyes, his strong jaw…

“Hey Prom!” Gladio shouts from the other side of the door.”You gonna be in there all night?”

“Sorry!” Prompto calls back, turning off the shower and drying quickly.

The nights are getting shorter and colder – a sure sign that winter is just around the bend – and Prompto has to resort to wearing a sweater that, if he had a grandmother, would sometimes be called ‘cute’ on him. He’d gotten it on his last shopping trip inside Insomnia, where he’d spent practically all his money believing, correctly it turned out, that Crowns wouldn’t be a recognised currency outside the city walls. The sweater swallows him whole; the creamy, off-white fabric wraps around his shoulders, the high neck curling protectively around his sensitive flesh, the hem of it coming down to almost his knees.

As he comes out, he sees Gladio sitting on his bed with a book in front of his face, but as soon as the door to the bathroom closes, he looks up with a concerned expression. “Come here for a sec.” Gladio says, closing his book and putting it on his bedside table.

Prompto makes his way over. When he’s standing beside the bed, Gladio brings him down into an awkward hug.

“Are you okay? You don’t have to tell me anything, but...you’ve been kinda different lately.”

Prompto scrambles to come up with something to say that isn’t ‘I’ve got a massive crush on you’, but he can’t find anything. He tries to say something anyway. “I...um...I guess I-I...um-I suppose, I...” He clears his throat, as if that’s going to help, and tries again. “I...” He realises it’s not going to work, and so he gives up, snuggling into Gladio’s chest. “Can I sleep with you tonight?” He asks softly, because it’s easier than tearing himself away, even if it isn’t exactly fair to his friend, but Gladio just moves aside and makes room for him. Taking a deep breath, he slips in beside Gladio and curls into his side.

After a while, Gladio rolls over and turns off the light, his arm extending over Prompto’s shoulders, and he has to fight not to get a hard-on from being pressed against Gladio’s torso. When the light is off, Gladio doesn’t take his arm away, just curls around Prompto and takes a few deep breaths.

“Prom?” He says after a long silence.

“Yeah?” Prompto whispers back.

“I missed you. I...it’s easier to sleep with you here.”

Prompto’s heart starts pounding. If he knows anything about cheesy romances, this is the point in the story where they confess to each other and share their first kiss. But it’s not a cheesy romance, is it? No, it’s his life, and in his life, he’s lost everything most people would take for granted; his parents, his childhood, his innocence. And so he closes his eyes and tries not to think about the possibilities. “I missed you too, Gladio.” He replies softly.

Gladio pulls him in closer, hand in the middle of his back, pressing Prompto’s face into his chest. After another few moments and a soft sigh from Ignis’ bed, Gladio seems to gather the courage to continue.

“Prom, I...for a while now, I’ve...” He sighs and leans back, biting his lip and looking into Prompto’s eyes. “Can I...I want to do something.”

Prompto can barely hear him over the pounding of his heart, his chest tightening in anticipation. He can’t even wait for Gladio to do whatever it is he wants to; he lurches forward and presses his lips to Gladio’s, squeezing his eyes closed, trying to savour the moment just in case Gladio doesn’t feel the same way about him.

Thankfully, Gladio returns the kiss enthusiastically, his arms wrapping around Prompto’s small frame, groping frantically, taking quick, gasping breaths whenever they can, falling into a rhythm.

“Finally.” Ignis sighs from the other bed, rolling over and eyeing them with an unreadable expression. “I’m glad you’ve finally realised how you feel about each other, but we _are_ going to be leaving early tomorrow, so I need you both to keep this short.” With that said, he rolls over again and goes silent.

Gladio lets out a sigh of his own. “Well, I suppose we’re going to have to continue this later.”

“Yeah.” Prompto says softly, disappointed.

With a broad smile, Gladio gives Prompto a quick kiss. “Goodnight.”

“’Night.”


	3. Tradition and Ceremony (and two very horny boys)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so...this went in a very different direction to what I had originally planned, but I...I'm not complaining about where we ended up, but I managed to (again) make this a sad fic about Prompto. Not in the main progression of the story, but when you get to the end notes, if you'd like the story to just end kinda nice and cheery, don't read 'em. Also, the end notes contain spoilers for the end of the game, so if you haven't finished it...you should probably finish the game before reading the end notes.
> 
> Think that's everything. Hope you kids enjoy and...um...have fun :)

Gladio pushes him up against the hotel room door, leaning down and ravaging his mouth. As per Gladio’s request, they haven’t had sex yet, because the bigger man wants it to be somewhere special. Prompto isn’t exactly clear on what that means, but he’s willing to wait to find out, even though they’re both getting desperate.

Prompto whines and pushes up into Gladio’s touch as the Shield tilts his head, pressing his tongue into the smaller man’s mouth, tugging his shirt off. They make their way over to the bathroom, where they step into the shower, both hard and leaking.

The bigger man presses their bodies together and grips both of their dicks in one of his huge hands and strokes them until they’re both panting with pleasure.

Leaning his head back, Prompto smiles weakly at Gladio. “I love you.” He says, and Gladio pauses in his movements.

“I...I love you too.” He replies, but looks...disappointed?

Prompto frowns. “What’s wrong?”

Gladio pulls his hand away and sighs. “I just...I wanted to say it to you later. When we got to Altissia, where I’d book us a table at this nice restaurant I’ve had my eye on for a while, and then we’d take a gondola around on the water, and then we’d get back to the hotel, and I’d slowly strip all your clothes off before I said I love you for the first time, and then we’d have sex, and it would be really special.”

Flushing, Prompto looks down at his toes – and in doing so, sees both of their flagging erections. “Sorry.” He fidgets from foot to foot, wringing his hands in front of himself. “I...I’m really not worth all that, though.”

Big hands cup his face and bring him into a gentle kiss. “You _are_ worth all that, Prom. And so much more.” Another kiss. “I love you.” Another. “You’re perfect.” Another. “You’re worthy.” Another. “You’re special.” Another. “You’re precious.” Another. “You’re loved.” Another, this one lingering. “You’re the light of my life, Prompto, and I wouldn’t give you up for anything. I would do anything for you, and I know the others feel at least half of what I feel for you, too. You’re not alone, and if it takes a thousand dates, a thousand nights spent with you, a thousand affirmations, a thousand kisses, I’ll give them to you.”

Prompto’s cheeks heat, and he tucks his face into Gladio’s chest, wrapping his arms around his waist. “You’re such a romantic.”

“Only for you, Prom.”

It takes another few weeks, but they find themselves back at Gladin Quay. Prompto steps out of the car somewhat dazed; he’d been sleeping against Gladio’s chest for most of the journey.

“Hey, guys?”

“Mm?” Noctis says as he roots around in the boot.

“Why...are we here?”

“Ah-ha!” Noctis cries out in victory as he finds his fishing set. He deems this box among the ‘too important to entrust to ancient magic’ items in their possession. The others include Prompto’s bag of ‘Prompto things’ - which used to consist of only his camera equipment, but now includes his sex toys – Ignis’ cans of Ebony, Gladio’s stack of novels, and their small collection of CDs, which they still occasionally slip into the stereo despite everything being on their phones now.

Noctis looks over at Prompto with a slightly disappointed expression and sighs. “We’re here to fish, remember? I caught the vesper gar for Navyth, so he said to meet him here for the next challenge, right?”

Ignis’ expression is one of stoic acceptance, but Gladio looks excited. Prompto frowns at him, but soon turns back to Noctis. “Aren’t we supposed to be...you know...going to Altissia so you can get married?”

“Ah, that’s boring.” Noctis says, rolling his eyes. “She can wait another few hours while I catch this fish. This is _important_.” With this proclamation, he stalks off to the pier, Ignis sighing and falling into step behind him, while Gladio stays behind and watches them go, holding Prompto back.

When they’re finally out of earshot, Gladio turns to Prompto with a smile. “I know this isn’t exactly what I had planned, but I’ve booked us a table, and Coctura’s making dinner for us, and then go for a walk down the beach, and then I booked a very special room for us.” He presses a quick kiss to Prompto’s lips.

Prompto’s cheeks go red, and he pulls Gladio down into another, longer kiss. “That sounds perfect. I’d be glad to go on a date with you, Gladio.”

“Awesome. So..should we go now?” He asks, holding his hand out.

Prompto slips his hand into Gladio’s and falls into step beside him as he leads the way to the restaurant. When they get there, Coctura beams at them.

“Here,” she says, then calls over one of the waiters, “this is Burl, and he’ll be your waiter tonight. If you need anything, let him know and he’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you, Coctura.” They follow Burl to their table, and Gladio pulls out Prompto’s chair, waiting for him to sit down before sitting down himself. “So...I hope you like seafood, because Coctura’s really into it, and she insisted on a seafood-heavy three course meal.”

“Sounds great, Gladio.”

They talk aimlessly for a while until the first dish is placed in front of them; thin slices of toasted and oiled bread, a tightly packed cylinder of rice and four shrimp arranged artfully.

“Wow,” Prompto says after finishing. “She really knows what she’s doing.”

“Yeah.” Gladio answers, but he’s only taken a few bites of his own meal. Prompto frowns, concerned, but Gladio assures him he’s alright. “A touch nervous, I guess.” He admits after a bit of prodding.

“Nervous? Why?”

Gladio blushes and shrugs, clamming up and refusing to say anything more about it.

After they’ve finished dinner, which ended in a gorgeous, light, creamy cheesecake, they walk hand-in-hand down by the water, the sun just starting its descent into the ocean.

“Come up here,” Gladio says, pulling Prompto up onto the rocks above the sand.

“Gladio, what’s this all about? I mean, I know this is our first ‘real date’, but what are you afraid of? I’ve liked you for more than four months at this point. It’s not going to change if this doesn’t go according to plan.”

“I know. It’s...not really that. I just...” He swallows, scowls, smooths his face out, shakes his head. “It’s stupid. It’s nothing. I mean...I decided ages ago that I-” He breaks off and stares determinedly out at the softly shushing water.

“Gladio?”

He sighs and turns to the smaller man. “If I...” Takes a deep breath, licks his lips. “If I...asked you-” He shakes his head and looks away again. “No, I can’t do it.”

Prompto senses that this problem won't be solved by pressing Gladio further, so he decides to change the subject. “Did you want to...move along to the next step of the night?”

Slowly, Gladio nods, and they turn back to walk to the hotel. Halfway there, Gladio stops, pulling Prompto close, hugging him to his chest, burying his nose into Prompto’s hair.

“In the Amicitia family, we believe in no sex until marriage. No hook-ups, no flings, no friends-with-benefits. I kept up the tradition...will keep up the tradition.” He speaks into Prompto’s hair, like it’s easier to talk to him about it if he’s not looking directly at him. “My dad...he would be absolutely distraught if he knew. I never told him I liked guys, that I would probably marry one someday.” He steps back, looks into Prompto’s eyes, takes a deep breath, fishes in his pocket and comes back with a ring. “I asked for a priestess of the church of the frozen lady to be in our rooms, to wed us. I love you, Prom, and I know...” He pauses to brush the tears falling from Prompto’s eyes. “I know we’ve only been dating for a short time, but I know that you’re the one for me. So...if you’ll have me, I want...” He blinks back tears of his own. “I want to marry you.”

Unable to speak, Prompto nods his head and accepts the ring Gladio slides onto his finger. Finally, he finds his voice. “But I...” He stops to clear his throat. “I don’t have a ring for you.”

“That’s okay. I asked Dino to make one for you to give me, too. I didn’t know for sure, but-”

“I love you.” Prompto interrupts, suddenly aware he hadn’t said it back. He steps in and wraps his arms around Gladio’s waist. “I love you.”

Gladio hugs him back, squeezing him tightly. “I love you too, Prom.”

It takes another twenty minutes for them to walk back to the hotel because they keep stopping to kiss. Finally, Gladio sweeps Prompto off his feet and carries him the rest of the way back. When Coctura sees them, she grins and congratulates them, offering to have wine in a cooler brought to their rooms, but Prompto declines; he’s never liked the taste, and even if he did, he doesn’t want anything to come between himself and his memories of this night.

When they enter the room the priestess of the church of the frozen lady is standing in front of the huge windows, afternoon light streaming through the sheer curtains and tinting everything pink and orange, lit candles only accenting the orange glow.

She addresses them both with a warm smile. “I understand that you are to be wed this night?”

“We are.” Prompto says, his cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

“Excellent.” She gestures for them to take each other’s hands. “Your names, please?” They give them to her, and she writes them on a formal marriage certificate. “Will one of you take the other’s surname, or will they be staying the same?”

“I’ll take his.” Prompto answers immediately; his name has meant nothing but pain and suffering, but taking Gladio’s name will give him strength in his darkest nights. He will be part of one of the longest and most respected family lines, publicly tied to this wonderful man and his kin.

She makes the changes on the certificate and turns back to them. “Prompto Amicitia, do you promise to love this man as the frozen lady loved the man of fire for as long as you live?”

“I do, yes.”

“And do you, Gladiolus Amicitia, promise to love this man as the frozen lady loved the man of fire for as long as you live?”

“I do.”

“You may consummate this joining in whichever way you wish.” She finishes, bowing and leaving the room, her part in the ceremony now complete.

Gladio pulls out the ring he’d mentioned having Dino make and gives it to Prompto, who slides it over the big man’s finger. After that’s done, they kiss, each press of their lips extending longer and longer until they’re lost in the feeling of being with each other.

Finally, they make it to the bed, now naked, their clothes having seemingly melted off their bodies, coated only in a thin sheen of sweat as they kiss and caress each other, loving the feeling of having soft, warm skin underneath their hands.

Gladio pulls away, chuckling when Prompto tries to chase him. “How do you want to do this?” He asks, reaching over to grab some lubricant, looking somewhat dazed but still attentive.

“I want...” Prompto hesitates; ever since realising he liked Gladio, he assumed he would be on the bottom, but Gladio is giving him a clear choice, the choice of how he wants to lose his virginity. He reminds himself that this is Gladio’s first time, too, and that he’s probably just as nervous about having Prompto inside him as Prompto is of the opposite. “I want you.” He says finally, throwing the lubricant away and pulling Gladio down into a kiss. He urges Gladio onto his back and straddles his waist, linking their fingers together and just taking a moment to look at him, to take him all in.

He sucks in a breath at what he sees; Gladio’s flushed face, his lips slightly parted, his hair spread around his head, his pupils blown wide with lust, with desire for _Prompto_, and his heart swells with so much emotion that he collapses forward onto Gladio’s chest.

“We started like this.” He says, tracing patterns on Gladio’s bare chest. “You...you took care of me when I was scared.” He breathes deeply, embedding the scent into his memory. “This is when I started to fall in love with you.”

Gladio’s arms come up to hold him closer. “I started to love you before we’d even left Insomnia, when I saw you that first day of training. I saw how much you cared for Noctis, how bright and happy you were, how kind and generous, and I couldn’t stop myself. You were gorgeous.”

Prompto snuggles into Gladio’s chest and closes his eyes, thinking about where they could take this. He wants...well, he doesn’t really know. He just knows that he wants to be with Gladio, for as long as he can be. He wants…

He shivers as he remembers the feeling of having a dildo up his ass. He knows it feels good, so what’s he afraid of? He looks up into Gladio’s eyes, and knows exactly what he wants.

“I’m cold.” He says, and the evening goes from great to excellent.

“So...” Noctis says as they slide into the car the next day. “Without getting _too_ into the details, how did it go?”

“It went really well.” Gladio answers softly, because Prompto is asleep against his side. “Prom took my last name, and we’re married now, and...I couldn’t have asked for better, really. Either the person or the events.” He smiles down at Prompto’s sleeping face and remembers last night.

_Gladio shifts around until they’re both snuggled under the covers. They kiss lazily for a few minutes, and it slowly becomes more heated._

“_Can you get the lube again?” Prompto asks, his cheeks flushed slightly from exertion._

_Gladio huffs out a chuckle and slides out of bed, searching around for the tube of lubricant, coming back with it in his grasp. Prompto takes it from him and squeezes some of it onto his fingers before they disappear under the covers, and his face contorts into one of pleasure. Gladio suddenly understands that Prompto is fingering himself open, and he gets under the covers to be closer to him while he does so._

_After a little while of watching Prompto open himself, Gladio gets some lubricant on his own fingers and helps Prompto along, until the smaller man is writhing while being spread by two of Gladio’s thick fingers._

“_I’m ready.” Prompto whispers against Gladio’s skin, his eyes pleading. “Gladio, please...”_

“_Shh, it’s okay, baby. I’ll take care of you.” He reassures, pulling his fingers out and pressing kisses to his collar bone while he slicks himself up and positions himself at Prompto’s entrance._

_Prompto links his fingers behind Gladio’s neck and pulls him up into another kiss, wordlessly begging Gladio to enter him, and so he does, almost blacking out at the wonderful feeling of being _inside_ someone, his head spinning from the fact that it’s not just anyone, but _Prompto_, the man he’s loved for almost two years._

_When Prompto gives him the go-ahead, he starts moving his hips, thrusting into him at a slow, steady pace, his eyes slipping closed as he tries not to cum too early. Prompto whimpers and wraps around him like a climber plant, holding him closer as Gladio speeds up, his thrusts becoming erratic as he closes in on his first orgasm inside someone else, sobbing with pleasure into Prompto’s shoulder, kissing him and professing his love, whispering Prompto’s name over and over again._

_Finally, he stills, and Prompto reaches down to fist at his still-hard cock. Gladio pulls out and gets his face between Prompto’s legs, gently removing the younger man’s hand while getting his lips around his member, moving his head up and down his length, closing his eyes when Prompto’s hand finds his hair and fists in it, his hips canting as he topples over the edge as well._

_Gladio swallows and comes back up to kiss Prompto again, worshipping every inch of the wonderful man underneath him, his hands caressing his body, trying to link every part of them together so that, no matter how far apart they may be, they’ll never be alone._

“_I love you.” He whispers against Prompto’s skin, again and again, until they’re both asleep under the covers._

Gladio strokes Prompto’s hair back from his face, the smile still lingering on his lips as he watches the scenery whoosh by. Ignis has expressed that he’ll want a break from driving soon, but Gladio is more than content with the time he has to spend with his husband.

Prompto shifts and finally wakes, his eyes bleary from sleep. “Morning.”

Gladio chuckles. “It’s one in the afternoon, Prom.”

“What?” He looks around, sees that he’s in the car, his clothes on, and looks up at Gladio with a startled expression. “How...”

“You seemed to be awake when you got dressed, but you fell back asleep as soon as we got in the car.” He grins at Prompto’s confused frown. “Don’t remember?”

Prompto shakes his head, and Gladio can’t resist smoothing back his product free hair.

“That’s alright. We’ll be stopping again soon, I think, so you can stretch your legs and get a bit more awake.”

His husband – Gladio thinks he’ll never get tired of thinking of Prompto as such – simply closes his eyes again and snuggles back into his side. “But I like it better here.” He mumbles. Just before he drifts back to sleep, probably exhausted from the three rounds of sex they’d involved themselves in last night, he mouths ‘I love you’ against Gladio’s skin, and the Shield thinks he could probably die happy, as long as Prompto’s by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end bit, but it has spoilers so it's not in the main storyline of this fanfic:
> 
> As Noctis ascends the stairs, Gladio turns to face the daemons approaching, calling forth his sword, swinging with great strength and precision as they just keep coming, an endless tide that threatens to overwhelm them. He knows that it'll stop as soon as Noctis defeats Ardyn, but he has no idea how long that will take, and even so, he's not entirely sure he wants to survive this encounter.
> 
> The last ten years he had spent with Prompto, which had been absolute heaven. They'd hunted together, raised chocobos and planted crops, protected refugees and guarded supply trains. They'd held hands and slept together, been a happy couple in a world filled with sadness and suffering.
> 
> He swings his sword again, cleaving off a deamon's arm, racing to heed Ignis' call to regroup. Prompto slips and falls in the blood, and he's immediately by his side, helping him up, daemons surrounding them, gathering in on their prey. From behind the wall of glowing flesh, he hears Ignis gasp and fall, swears he can feel the life leeching out of him. He wants to be able to get there in time, but Prompto's heavy, a lifeless weight, and when Gladio looks, he's unconscious, or maybe dead already, his eyes closed, his shoulder and neck bleeding.
> 
> Gladio feels his chest constrict in a panic. He hopes they bought Noctis enough time. He hopes this isn't the last time he sees Prompto's face. He hopes...
> 
> He swallows back tears and strokes the hair back from Prompto's face, smearing blood - both human and daemon - over his pallid forehead. Prompto's eyelids flutter.
> 
> "We're...not gonna make it, are we?"
> 
> "No." Gladio says, because he would never lie to his husband. "I'm sorry."
> 
> Prompto coughs weakly. "Don't be." He reaches out and strokes Gladio's face, smiling softly. "I always liked your hair like that."
> 
> "I know." He sobs, the sound being ripped from his chest, his heart clenching painfully. "You've told me so many times before."
> 
> "I love you." He says, and Gladio can't do anything but hold him close to him, clutching at his shoulders, knowing that soon, the daemons will tire of Ignis' lifeless body and turn their attentions to those still living. Prompto's hands scrabble wildly at Gladio's back, his heart suddenly not having enough fluid to pump, his brain warning him of an imminent shut-down, his instincts telling him to give up one last fight, and then he's dead, and Gladio feels his own heart shatter in his chest, and it feels like he's dying already.
> 
> He looks down and sees a daemons' sword pulnged through both his and Prompto's chests, and he has just enough time to wonder how long it's been there before he slumps over, his heart also stopping.


End file.
